Franklin Covey has built a worldwide reputation for helping to increase the personal effectiveness of individuals and teams, and with it, their morale and engagement. The concept of keeping a compelling scoreboard as one of the disciplines to attain success clearly illustrates ‘the results drive engagement just as engagement drives results’. This is particularly true when the team can see the direct impact their actions have on the results.

What does actually motivate an employee? Most people work for money and they quit for money. I know for sure that ‘achieving’ people are most satisfied in their jobs when they experience achievement. 4 Disciplines instills a sense of achievement in its players through keeping a compelling scoreboard as one of the disciplines.

I quote from the book ‘A motivating players’ scoreboard not only drives results but uses the visible power of progress to instill the mindset of winning’.

As per David Rock’s claim through his book: ‘Quiet leaders are masters at bringing out the best performance in others. They improve the thinking of people around them -literally improving the way their brains process information -without telling anyone what to do. Given how many people in today’s companies are being paid to think and analyze, improving others’ thinking is one of the fastest ways to improve performance’.

Quiet Leadership as a manual/ book – offers a practical, six-step guide to making permanent workplace performance change and to unleashing higher productivity, new levels of morale, and greater job satisfaction.

In my opinion, Critical thinking or critical reasoning, also called analytical thinking, is clear rational thinking involving self-critique to improve one’s thinking process. Its details vary among those who define it. During the process of critical thinking, ideas should be reasoned, well thought out, and judged. Critical thinking is also defined as the process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion.

I like the way the author David Rock explains through his book, ‘placement, questioning and clarifying’ as a cyclic process adopted at various stages to develop ingenious thinking process in others. In fact, it goes without saying, each individual alone knows himself the best and as a transformation leader we need to encourage as well as enable him to think on his own in order to actualize his potential within the opportunity available.

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‘The Brain and Emotional Intelligence: New Insights’ provides updates on the key findings that further inform our understanding of emotional intelligence and how to apply this skill set, especially in leadership roles. Over the last decade and a half there has been a steady stream of new insights that further illuminate the dynamics of emotional intelligence. In this book, Daniel Goleman explains what we now know about the brain basis of emotional intelligence, in clear and simple terms. This book will deepen your understanding of emotional intelligence and enhance your ability for its application.

In the Brain and Emotional Intelligence: New Insights, Goleman illuminates the state of the art on the relationship between the brain and emotional intelligence, and highlights EI’s practical applications in leadership roles, education, and creativity.

Topics covered include:

– Is “emotional intelligence” distinct from IQ?
– The brain’s ethical radar
– The neural dynamics of creativity
– The brain circuitry for drive, persistence and motivation
– How to manage stress
– The brain states underlying optimal performance, and how to enhance them
– The social brain: rapport, resonance, and interpersonal chemistry
– Brain 2.0: Our brain on the web
– The varieties of empathy and key gender differences
– The dark side: sociopathy at work
– Neural lessons for coaching and enhancing emotional intelligence abilities

“Over the last decade and a half there has been a steady stream of new findings that further illuminate the dynamics between the brain’s circuitry and emotional intelligence,” said Daniel Goleman.

“New Insights provides an update on the latest data with a focus on practical applications of emotional intelligence, a fundamental ingredient to outstanding leadership.”

The book is especially beneficial to those working in the emotional intelligence field, and who need to apply the concept in effective action: leaders, executive coaches, human resources officers, managers, and educators.

‘Emotional Intelligence was an international phenomenon, appearing on the New York Times bestseller list for over a year and selling more than five million copies worldwide. Now, once again, Daniel Goleman has written a groundbreaking synthesis of the latest findings in biology and brain science, revealing that we are “wired to connect” and the surprisingly deep impact of our relationships on every aspect of our lives.

Far more than we are consciously aware, our daily encounters with parents, spouses, bosses, and even strangers shape our brains and affect cells throughout our bodies—down to the level of our genes—for good or ill. In Social Intelligence, Daniel Goleman explores an emerging new science with startling implications for our interpersonal world. Its most fundamental discovery: we are designed for sociability, constantly engaged in a “neural ballet” that connects us brain to brain with those around us.

Our reactions to others, and theirs to us, have a far-reaching biological impact, sending out cascades of hormones that regulate everything from our hearts to our immune systems, making good relationships act like vitamins—and bad relationships like poisons. We can “catch” other people’s emotions the way we catch a cold, and the consequences of isolation or relentless social stress can be life-shortening. Goleman explains the surprising accuracy of first impressions, the basis of charisma and emotional power, the complexity of sexual attraction, and how we detect lies. He describes the “dark side” of social intelligence, from narcissism to Machiavellianism and psychopathy. He also reveals our astonishing capacity for “mindsight,” as well as the tragedy of those, like autistic children, whose mindsight is impaired.

Is there a way to raise our children to be happy? What is the basis of a nourishing marriage? How can business leaders and teachers inspire the best in those they lead and teach? How can groups divided by prejudice and hatred come to live together in peace?

The answers to these questions may not be as elusive as we once thought. And Goleman delivers his most heartening news with powerful conviction: we humans have a built-in bias toward empathy, cooperation, and altruism–provided we develop the social intelligence to nurture these capacities in ourselves and others.’

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In his book, Stephen M. R. Covey asserts, “The ability to establish, extend, and restore trust with all stakeholders – customers, business partners, investors and coworkers – is the key leadership competency of the new, global economy.” Leaders are rediscovering trust as they see it with new eyes.

Looking beyond the common view of trust as a soft, social virtue, they’re learning to see it as a critical, highly relevant, performance multiplier.

Credibility boils down to two simple questions. First, do I trust myself? Second, am I someone who others can trust? Covey talks about Four “Cores” that are key to building credibility.

Integrity and Intent are character cores. Capabilities and Results are competency cores. All Four Cores are necessary for credibility. A person of integrity that does not produce results is not credible. If you are not credible, you are not trustworthy!

Trust is the deciding factor in all relationships – whether it is personal or business relationships. When there is congruence, there is no gap between what one intends to do and what one actually does.

Trust holds relationships together for a long period of time. These relationships could be of buyer-seller, boss-subordinate, teacher-student, parent-child, husband-wife, among siblings or among friends. Wherever human relationships are involved, trust is the principal ingredient to make them successful.

Earlier you establish the trust, lesser is the cost incurred. The cost could be by way of time, money and/ or efforts.

The book asserts that there are three generations of time management: first-generation ‘task lists’, second-generation ‘personal organizers with deadlines’ and third-generation ‘values clarification as incorporated in the Franklin Planner’. Using the analogy of ‘the clock and the compass,’ the authors assert that identifying primary roles and principles provides a reference when deciding what activities are most important, so that decisions are guided not merely by the ‘clock’ of scheduling but by the ‘compass’ of purpose and values.

In the book, Dr Covey describes a framework for prioritizing work that is aimed at arriving a solution(by focusing on quadrant 2), at the expense of tasks that appear to be urgent, but are in fact less important.

Important items are identified by focusing on a few key priorities and roles which will vary from one business situation to another, then identifying small goals for each role each week. One tool for this is a worksheet that lists up to seven key roles, with three weekly goals per role, to be evaluated and scheduled into each week before other appointments occupy all available time with things that seem urgent but are not important. Delegation is presented as an important part of time management. Successful delegation, according to Dr Covey, focuses on results and benchmarks that are to be agreed in advance by two sides, rather than just prescribing detailed work plans.

I think this principle-centered approach on time management will work successfully in any challenging situation at hand: whether it be planning for an approaching family wedding event or preparing for nearing ‘state of recovery’ from current economic recession times.

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Raman Ramamurthy is the Founder and Owner of Rambuna Consultants, Management Consultancy firm providing Recruitment services in Sales & Marketing for Niche segments, Corporate Training programs and Business consulting to the SME (Small & Medium Enterprises) sector. Stay connected with him on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or you can reach him on +91 9819309564